A GROUNDSWELL of opposition to gas fields or invasive mining in the Limestone Coast region continues to grow, with 95 per cent of residents anti-mining in 38 communities surveyed in the past two years.
But the SA Chamber of Mines and Energy is confident the ongoing Parliamentary Inquiry into Unconventional Gas will find hydraulic fracturing poses no threat to the region’s precious underground aquifers and offers a potential economic boon.
Last week the Limestone Coast Protection Alliance, which has been undertaking the community surveys, held a celebration for seven communities near Lucindale where 93.2pc opposition was recorded.
Heather Heggie, Naracoorte, says it would be “folly” for the government to ignore the wishes of SE residents.
“Most of the community is outraged anyone could be allowed to potentially jeopardise the aquifers and industrialise the landscape,” she said.
“We are determined to make a difference and show there is no social licence here. We know the evidence against fracking is mounting up all the time, especially from the United States and it (the SE) is such a valuable food bowl whose clean, green brands and lucrative markets would be destroyed,” she said.
Ms Heggie is hopeful the inquiry will conclude the health and environmental risks and threats to agriculture and tourism in the region are too great.
“Just because SA is supposedly cash-strapped we need to think about the real energy future. The rest of the world is heading down clean energy targets but Australia is going backwards pursuing gas and fossil fuels.”
But SACOME chief executive Jason Kuchel says the clear and consistent message he received when meeting landholders and regulators in Pennsylvania in the US, which has been hydraulic fracturing for years, was there had been no impact on their water supply.
“Methane has often been in the aquifers long before any oil and gas activity,” he said. “The biggest likelihood of water being contaminated by methane is the water wells themselves – which are unregulated and often not adequately constructed. In the SE of SA, this would not be a problem as the gas is located kilometres below the aquifer rather than being above the aquifer, as is often the case in Pennsylvania.”
Mr Kuchel said the other message from Pennsylvanians was their wish for the “anti-fossil fuel campaigners” to go away, with the unconventional gas industry bringing jobs, cheaper gas and electricity prices.
